North Korea shows weightlifting prowess in Nagoya

North Korea’s Ri Won-ju claimed the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games men’s 70-kilogram weightlifting title on Saturday, showcasing overwhelming strength in the clean and jerk. With the country struggling in gymnastics, canoeing and other events, all five of its gold medals so far have come from weightlifting. Ri won the gold medal in the men’s 70kg category at the Nagoya Small and Medium Enterprise Promotion Center in Nagoya, Japan, on Saturday, lifting 151 kilograms in the snatch and 198kg in the clean and jerk for a total of 349kg. Ri finished second in the snatch after failing to lift 146kg in his first attempt before successfully lifting 146kg in his second and 151kg in his third, trailing Japan’s Masanori Miyamoto, who lifted 154kg. However, Ri staged a decisive comeback in his specialty, the clean and jerk. After easily lifting 187kg in his first attempt put himself in position for gold, Ri lifted 192kg in his second attempt and then hoisted 198kg in his third, leaving his rivals unable to catch up. Miyamoto took silver with a total of 342kg, comprising a 154kg snatch and a 18